A Hairy Experience

Several minutes ago, I was on my hands and knees vacuuming up cat food that my 2-year-old daughter had thoughtfully scattered about the living room. We had some time to kill before heading off to Gillian's 24 month doctor visit in another town and I took the opportunity to get some vacuuming done (with me, a toddler, a dog, and a cat roaming about--and don't forget it's leaf season--the floor gets nasty very quickly...). Anyway, there I was vacuuming industriously, trying to get every last fish-shaped kibble from under the end table and the sofa, when the vacuum (an upright) fell over on me. Next thing I knew, there was a stabbing pain in my scalp and I realized my hair--I have rather long hair--was being sucked up! Images of torn, ripped scalp flashed before my eyes as I grabbed my hair and tried to pull it out of the vacuum. I could only keep it from going in further, however. I tried to reach the power switch with my other hand, but of course, the switch was conveniently located at the far end of the handle. So, I ended up picking up the whole machine with my free hand--my other hand still trying to prevent my scalp from being ripped off--and carrying it over to the outlet in the other room to unplug it. What a relief to have the suction stop! I then crouched on the floor trying to pull my hair out of the machine--it was tangled in the bristles. In the mean time, Gillian started crying and I was helpless to comfort her. I think she was as scared as I was! Fortunately, I got my hair out pretty quickly, without ripping or breaking. Gillian calmed down with a big hug. I finished cleaning up the cat food, keeping my head well away from the vacuum. The vacuum cleaner now smells of burned hair and burned rubber.....